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Article:

In the seventies, scientists developed a breed of guinea pig that they used for dermatological testing.
In recent years, the breed has become yet another popular designer pet.
The strange new rodent doesn't have any hair.
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awwww
i think its adorable!!!
i want one :]
but seriously, "designer pets"
its like they're ment for celebrities or something, like they deserve to take care of a life
i mean, just look at paris hilton. she "loved" her chihuahua and then lost it ; how responsible is that?
i mean not all celebrities are that bad.

Designer pets? What is wrong with the good old fashioned just plain old pet? I'm sure there are some people with allergies that this little guy would be great for. But, I would bet most people are just attracted to the novelty while many furry ones wait for homes.

I would rather see the time and effort put into getting homes for guinea pigs in shelters and rescues instead of breeding more of them. I'm sure there are a lot of reputable breeders out there, but go to any shelter and I'm sure you'll find a huge number being put to sleep.

I don't think snake owners are going to pet stores to pay for guinea pigs to be used as snake food. It would be too expensive. Unfortunately, they get them for free by scanning the want ads and sites like Freecycle where many people offer their small animals for free. Whenever I see an ad that offers a free pet, I try and contact the owner to explain that their pet could end up as snake food if they give it away. I also suggest they take that unwanted pet to their local shelter than risk it's life. I contacted my local Freecycle site asking that they consider not allowing pets for free but I never received a response. All the more reason for adopting pets from shelters and rescues or looking at Freecycle where you might save a pet's life.

They are cute but it testing stinks. I hate animal testing for anything and now I'm sure that cross breeding could be helping get them back up in their immune systems but it's not always a good thing. Alot of times cross breeding causes internal problems down the line. And handing these animals out like little toys isn't good, they need to be properly cared for and sometimes the people with the money to buy them aren't the people willing to put in the time or effort to take care of them.

This story is disturbing on many levels. From the fact that this poor little animal was scientifically "created" for the sole purpose of experimentation to the fact that it's now being bred as a "designer" pet. This is a serious level of tampering with nature. Manmade "recipes" like this are unconscionable. Imagine all the other things these wierd scientific minds have created that we don't yet know about - some we never will.